Hope Notes 7/10/14

 

Dear Friends of Hope ~

All you long time readers of Hope Notes probably get tired of hearing me talk about our communion service, but I can't help it!  Whenever I see that a communion Sunday is coming up, I want to share my feelings. At Hope, we do communion differently than anything I've ever experienced. There is great meaning and depth to the act of communion itself; however we add to that by the way we partake in it.  Mostly, taking communion has been more of an individual experience for me.  Each person is given the bread and juice and then we eat/drink it alone.  But here at Hope it is a corporate event.  No first, no last – we all wait to take it as one body.  For me personally, there is something so moving about corporate prayer, corporate worship, AND corporate communion!  It truly brings a feeling of unity and connection.  We may be tightly squeezing into place around the auditorium, but I am thankful we are still able to do that!

 

SUNDAY MORNING MESSAGE

July 13 - Fighting Against Facts (John 9:13-25)

COMMUNION

Denial…. It is a well-worn response to news that we don't want to hear or accept.  It doesn't change the facts, but it makes us feel better in trying to pretend that they aren't true.  However, denial almost always crumbles under the weight of reality over time.  Eventually, virtually everyone has to face the facts that what they don't want to be true is in fact true.  For many people, this is the battle lines in their lives with God.  They are fighting against the facts.  Those facts may be scientific, relational, or even just spiritual facts (the ones we know for sure in our soul).  We'll see in this story that the religious leaders are fighting hard against what is plain to both them and all those around.  And we'll ask ourselves the question of whether or not we are willing to accept the fact – and we are willing to let the facts speak for themselves.

 

HOPE'S 10^TH ANNIVERSARY

July 20, 2014

Something special is in the air – we're getting ready to celebrate our 10^th anniversary!  Make sure you're here to be a part of our service.  We'll have some special music and a time for sharing testimonies.  We'll take a walk down memory lane as we go through a slide show of pictures that illustrate the history of Hope.  And what's a celebration without a little cake?  Be sure to stop by the Youth Room after the service to grab a celebratory cupcake!  All in all, this is a day you don't want to miss!

 

MESSAGES AVAILABLE
Did you know that Sunday's worship service is available on CD immediately following the service for FREE?  Pick up a copy for yourself or for anyone you would like to share Hope with.  Pastor Mark's messages are also available on our website, www.hopechristianfellowship.org.

 

PRAYER HUDDLE

9:30 – 9:35

The prayer huddle is open to anyone who would like to come pray - but it is specifically intended for those who are serving on that Sunday.  So if you're scheduled to be in kids' ministry, greeting, in the tech booth, on worship team, or any other ministry role for a given Sunday, join us at 9:30 sharp to pray together for God's power in each of us.  We can do all things through Christ, and nothing of worth without Him, so let's come together each Sunday to ask for God's Spirit to fill us and use us!

 

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER TIME
Our Sunday morning prayer time is open to everyone from 9:15 – 9:45 am in the Prayer Room. We pray for the services that morning and for the needs in the church. If you would like to participate, just show up!

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

 

JULY CHALLENGE VERSE

Proverbs 10:9

"The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out."

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY

7:00 – 8:15

For the next five weeks, we'll be stepping out of our normal Bible study in the book of 1 Corinthians to attend Workshop Wednesdays.  Childcare is provided.

 

WORKSHOP WEDNESDAYS

Thru July 23^rd

 

Traveling Light (Max Lucado)

Led by Bob Baumiester

We all lug loads we were never intended to carry. Fear. Worry. Discontent. Guilt. Anxiety. Grief. Perfectionism. Loneliness. No wonder we get so weary. We are worn out from carrying that excess baggage. Wouldn't it be nice to lose some of those bags? That's the invitation of Max Lucado, in his book, Traveling Light. With the 23rd Psalm as our guide, we'll learn to release some of the burdens we were never intended to carry.

 

I Wish Jesus Hadn't Said That (Steve Timmis)

Led by Mike Hartwell
Think about some of the things Jesus said:  "Love your enemies", You cannot serve both God and money", "Take up your cross and follow me".  We may believe them, but can we live them?  This book calls believers to consider ten saying of Jesus that reveal where our affections lie.  We are reminded that Christians are called to abandon, not cherish, the ways of the world and to reject, not pursue, the things that give us status and pleasure. This book helps us to grapple with this concept and accept His verdict on what constitutes the good life. 

 

One Of Us Must Be Crazy…. And I'm Pretty Sure It's You (Tim and Joy Downs)

Led by Steve and Karen Jones

Are there recurring areas of conflict in your marriage that you seem to come back to over and over again?  You're not alone.  All of us have conflict in marriage, but what we don't have is a blueprint for resolving it.  This short, funny book by Tim and Joy Downs (Frequent Family Life Weekend to Remember speakers) describes seven underlying issues that are really at the root of most marital conflicts, and offers advice on what to do about them.

 

AUGUST WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

We are planning a month of Family Nights in August - a chance to spend some time with your church family as a FAMILY!  Each night, we have a different event that you can participate in as a family.  From game night to movie night to a picnic (complete with games) we're going to have a blast.  More info coming...

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM

7:00 – 8:15

Keep Jesus fresh in your child's mind and heart!  We have classes for children ages 3 – 5 and for those in 1^st – 5^th grades.  Nursery is provided for infants thru age 2.

 

YOUNG ADULTS

7:30 in Youth Room

First and Third Monday of every month

Anyone who has graduated high school up to their early thirties is welcome. See Pastor Mark or Dana for more information. Childcare is provided.

 

GOD'S GIRLS – ON HIATUS FOR THE SUMMER

Women's Bible Study

For women high school age and up.
We will be starting up again on September 15th with an exciting new study!  Be on the lookout for monthly events over the summer. Contact Jennifer Nolan at jnolan1962@yahoo.com to be added to our monthly email list for updates!

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP

 

MEN'S BREAKFAST

Second Saturday of Every Month

8:00 – 9:30am

Come and join us for a delicious breakfast and a good time of fellowship/sharing with the men of Hope.  Feel free to bring a friend!  Open to men 18 and older. See Steve Jones with any questions.

 

SMALL GROUPS

Study sheets for Small Groups will resume in September as always!

 

YOUTH NEWS

GAME NIGHT

July 16^th

We will meet at the DellaRova's (559 Park Drive Woodbury NJ 08096) NOTE: their driveway is actually on High St, look for the balloons. Come ready to play some outdoor games!

 

ROOTED WEDNESDAYS

Wednesday evenings at the church.

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL / SENIOR HIGH SPLIT

Beginning September 2014

Over the past two years God has done some amazing things in the life of our youth group. In order to cultivate an environment where God can continue to work and grow, we are seriously considering splitting into two separate programs. Beginning this September, our Senior Highers will meet on Sunday nights with our Middle Schoolers continuing to meet on Wednesday. Please keep the youth ministry, its leaders, and students in prayer as we enter this exciting period of transition!

 

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS

 

READY? SET... GO!

HopeKids! has launched the Go Zone as the new name for our kids Sunday morning service! We are GOing for GOD, GOing for GROWTH, and GOing FOREVER! The Go Zone is a service entirely focused around the kids, in which we connect by playing games, worshipping with one another, and hearing a message from God's Word in fun, creative ways before heading off to Sunday school for the rest of the service.

 

Follow HopeKids! Ministries on facebook at:  facebook.com/HCFHopeKids

 

**** SPECIAL VBS 2014 SECTION ****

 

SAVE THE DATE for VBS!

Vacation Bible School will be July 28-August 1 for children 3 years old and up to 5th grade! We'll meet each night 6-8:30pm. The theme this year is Weird Animals. God filled the world with a lot of crazy creatures...including you! When kids feel weird, different, or even lost in a crowd -- nothing compares to the extraordinary love of Jesus!  So mark your calendars! We'll need plenty of volunteers to help out, so if you're interested in being a part of this amazing ministry contact Matt

Russell: mattrussell@hopechristianfellowship.org.

 

NEW SPECIAL NEEDS CLASS AT THIS YEAR'S VBS!!!
We've been thinking about offering a special needs class for this year's VBS. We have some very experienced people willing to serve these children. We'd like to know what kind of interest or need there is for this in order to offer it.

Please let Matt Russell know by this Sunday, July 13^th, if you know anyone who would be interested at mattrussell@hopechristianfellowship.org.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

FROM PASTOR MARK & DANA……..

"We are so excited to celebrate the wedding of our daughter, Kylie and her fiancé, Matt in just a few short weeks! We are extending an invitation to everyone in our Hope family for the wedding ceremony on Friday, July 18th at 5:30pm right here at church. As much as we would love to have everyone join us for the reception as well, the limited space and budget make that impossible. Thanks for your grace and understanding in that. We are looking forward to seeing Matt and Kylie begin their life together and would love to share our joy with you!"

 

BUSINESS MEETING

August 10

We will have a quick business meeting after church to vote on the amendment to the constitution (copies available in the resource room).  Should be a very short meeting with just a simple vote.  If you have any concerns regarding this amendment, please discuss with an elder right away!

 

BAPTISMAL SERVICE

September 3^rd (Wed night)

If you are interested in being baptized, please see Pastor Mark.  We'll have two classes in the weeks leading up to this baptismal service

 

HOPE FOR RECOVERY

Tuesdays at 7:00 pm

Please Note:  We will NOT be meeting during the month of July!

A Christian based, 12-step approach for those struggling with addictions of any kind.  The group is a safe and confidential place for men and women to find strength and HOPE through sharing and fellowship. Contact Liz McCool with any questions at irelandjim@netscape.com.

 

OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE

 

GREETERS

We have an immediate need for Greeters!  We have five openings to fill!  This is a great way to make everyone who walks in the door to Hope feel welcome!  If you can smile and say hello – you would make a great Greeter!  Contact Deb Caranci at fcaranci@comcast.net if you can help.

 

MEALS MINISTRY

Here at Hope we like to take care of our people!  When we know someone who recently had a baby, has an illness in the family, or any other occasion where having the burden of preparing a family dinner removed would be a big help – we like to take care of that for them!  If you would be interested in occasionally making or delivering a meal, contact Pat Nolan at pationolan@comcast.net.

 

SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER GROUP

We'd love to have people come and pray with us for the needs of the church and for God's power to be at work in our morning service.  You don't have to commit to coming every week, but our elders are asking those who are able come and join us!

 

SAINTS PRISON MINISTRY

We have two missionaries right here in the body at Hope!  Jim Jefferson and Bill McGinness travel with the prison ministry's softball team to bring the gospel to those in prison.  They sacrifice their family time and finances to do this.  We can help ease their burden and support them by praying for them and giving as we feel God leading.  Each man needs to raise $1000 in order to cover their own expenses.  If you are able to give, simply write a check made payable to Jim or Bill and offer it to them.

 

FOOD PANTRY

It's time for some pantry staples!  We are in need of peanut butter, jelly, canned or packaged soup, and cereal. 

Please check the expiration dates of any donations and place in the basket located outside the kitchen door. Contact Karen Blythe with any questions or if you are interested in helping with our pantry. Thank you!

 

THIS WEEK'S WORKERS

Nursery                         TBA

Toddlers                        Kara Ott, Jenna Gaventa
Pre K – Kindergarten    Bill McGinness, Isaiah Owens, Angel Nolan
1st & 2nd                      Lisa Fiorile

3rd - 5th                        Brittany Bley, Faith DeWalt
Counters                       Carole Baumiester, Lois Hartwell
Greeters                        Greg Corrado

                                      Katrina Mariani
                                     

                                                                                               

Wed. Evening                Katrina Mariani

 

HOPES PRAYER TEAM
If you have a prayer request, please fill out a prayer request card and drop it in the offering slot at the back of the church on Sunday or use the "Prayer Request Form" on our website. If you have any questions or would like to join the Prayer Team, please contact Bill Berry directly at billandkathyberry@comcast.net.

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

Lorraine Otis – For her friend Nancy's healing from cancer.

Sunday Morning Children's Opening – Let's keep Matt Russell in prayer as he leads in this venture for our children.

Middle School/Sr. High Split – Prayers for our youth and their leaders as they prepare to transition to this new format coming in September.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." Ephesians 6:18

 

 

Washed by His Blood,
Lois

 

 

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